Controversy: Is the SLS AMG faster than the 458 Italia stock for stock?

Controversy: Is the SLS AMG faster than the 458 Italia stock for stock?

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Controversy: Is the SLS AMG faster than the 458 Italia stock for stock?

A debate has been raging on the BenzBoost forums and we decided it was finally time to put together information on these two cars to help sort out the video below. There are three races and the SLS gets the jump in the first two. In the first race the SLS is lined up ahead and gets on the gas first pulling. In the second video a mix-up in the honks has the SLS jump again leading the 458 to have to run it down which it can not. The third race is the cleanest with the SLS still pulling away and rather quickly.

Now, this has led to people from each side yelling and screaming at each other. Here is what we know, the SLS dyno's more on a dynojet stock. There are variables involved of course but based on the graphs we have thus far the 458 baselines around 450 wheel and the SLS around 488 wheel. Advantage, SLS.

This may help explain why the 458 Italia gets a better elapsed time in the 1/4 mile versus the SLS stock for stock. It's rear engine launch is also a large factor helping it get off the line better. Going back to Road and Track, the numbers are 11.0@128.5 versus 11.6@124.3 for the Italia and SLS respectively. 0-120 numbers favor the Italia by 1.2 second stock for stock, not a small difference.

Shift speed has been stated to favor the 458 with the SLS at 100ms to its 40ms. This disparity seems too large for the same technology from the same supplier, Getrag. As a matter of fact, they are basically the same unit. So is there really that large of a disparity here? We don't think so.

So how do you explain the outcome of the video? The only explanation is that the SLS is not stock. Logically, this is the only conclusion one can reach to explain how the SLS leaves the 458 the way it does. The weight is not as large of a factor once the cars are moving but even so we should see the 458 slowly pull not the SLS jumping out and destroying the 458. A stock SLS simply is not capable of it based on the data presented here. The stock claims are likely misleading and for SLS owners to boast. This is why we prefer track numbers for support but even without them a video can still be broken down. If we are incorrect, someone do this same race with two stock cars and prove us wrong. One thing is certain, both are fast cars and examples of some of the best vehicles available today.

The Ford GT is more than 500 pounds lighter than the CLS63, how was the CLS63 keeping up side by side?

Either what you said above is correct or this whole article is false

It can be explained with the fact that one car can have a higher PEAK horsepower, but still have a LOWER AVERAGE (total area underneath the power curve) than the other car. I haven't looked or read the article, but am hoping this makes some sense.

It can be explained with the fact that one car can have a higher PEAK horsepower, but still have a LOWER AVERAGE (total area underneath the power curve) than the other car. I haven't looked or read the article, but am hoping this makes some sense.

LZH can be a little though to handle on some occasions, but non of those occasions are technical info discussing. What he and inlineS54 say is absolutely right. HP is what that wins races. If not then trucks would ripping off normal cars since they have better torque/weight ratio. But they can't, because they lack power.

No one is going to prove any physical phenomena by showing a video of two very different manmade machines racing eachother. The are geared different, have different aerodynamics, rolling resistances, powerbands, shift times, weights, average powers list goes on forever.

Torque does not take time into account. If torque won races, then semi trailers would be raping corvettes and M3s.

Average horsepower and gearing wins races. Torque is created by the engine at different speeds, if the car is geared just right, it can take advantage of the highest average horsepower available when shifting.

The image you showed us above is taken from your "setting" icon, which shows the rep that you have given and not recieved. That shows you giving me a negative rep on 11:18AM today 5-24-2012.
For the last time, I cannot possibly rep you. I have less than 100 Rep points and less than 100 Posts. Can someone help me here and explain to this moron about the repping system.